Thursday, May 1, 2008

Food Prices

Last week, I almost killed over when I saw the price of raspberries at a local grocery store. Eight bucks for a pint of raspberries. I don't know about you, but I go through a pint in 2-3 days. Thats a lot of money on one fruit. Of course, haven't we all noticed the higher prices in food lately?I've been keeping my eye on it because I love food, to eat, but also, my dad is a farmer. He's growing wheat, soybeans, and corn this year because of the prices. I guess that the higher price at market offsets the higher gas prices, but I haven't crunched the numbers.Along with this, I visited a local farmer's market, only to find that everything wasn't local. There was watermelons, peaches, and other produce not in season. One vendor said, "Wait a week or two and I'll have Georgia peaches."However, I know peach season isn't until June depending on where they are grown. This guy wasn't going to put a veil over me. The past couple of years in Austin gave me the knowledge of seasonal produce, how to choose the right one, and the compassion to buy local. This guy was a fake.But I took my tomatoes and my peaches home, to find the tomatoes unripened and the peaches going bad. They say, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." So I took those peaches, mixed them with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, let them marry for awhile. Then I took them and made a cobbler.So what have I learned, research farmer's markets in local areas, and if you get some bad produce try and find something to make out it.Peach Cobbler(adapted from Gourmet) 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup granola without dried fruit 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

3 lb peaches, sliced1/2-1 cup sugarnutmeggingercinnamon

Take sliced peaches mix with sugar and spice and let marry for a little bit. Then place in baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Stir together sugar, flour, granola, spices, and salt in a bowl, then work in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture forms small clumps.

Take crumb mixture and spread over peaches.

Bake in middle of oven until topping is golden and peaches are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm.